Creating Steroscpic 3D Images

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Recreating Cameras and Lighting in Maya

Base Image

Recreated Image 1

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Building a Scene in Maya

1 Point Lighting

2 point lighting

3 point lighting

 

Scientific Fact and Cinematic Fiction

I will be using the grade from my previous paper.

Outline of Second Term Paper

I. The physics of gravity has long been abused in movies and games, although it's usually for the sake of gameplay or to accentuate other worldly powers.

        A. Game series guilty of this are Devil May Cry, Tony Hawk Pro Skater, and Assassin's Creed

II. Tony Hawk Pro Skater games have allowed users to gain abilities to defy the laws of gravity, usually by allowing one to gain more air or "hang time" just by changing skills, rather than altering other factors such as speed.

      A. Despite speed being the same, one can leap further into the air by going up a ramp as long as  this is altered.

       B. One can ignore how long a person can normally stay in in the air by altering hang time. What starts as initially correct timing turns into a person staying at the apex for up to a second.

III. Devil May Cry defies gravity for the sake of achieving combos, much like Tony Hawk.

       A. The hero can use some mystical force to double jump in the air, without any physical object for him to propel himself from.

       B. He can also stay in the air longer by attacking an enemy, flailing his weapon around.

                i. If anything, this should send him flying down faster.

IV. Assassin's Creed has moments where one can leap from a tall building and land safely in a pile of hay.

       A. No matter what the height, the character reaches terminal velocity once he reaches his "landing pose" (preparing to land on his back)

       B. Although this is more inertia, he also doesn't continue to spin around once he reaches this pose.

Stop Motion Character Animation

This was an idea that morphed over time. What was originally a video about a board game playing itself turned into the current video, in which two figures join in on the action. How it played it still felt natural and relatable, as I wanted something that anyone who has played Monopoly has experienced: your opponent having bizarrely great luck, while you are stuck suffering right off the bat. Needless to say, we've also felt the rage the figure who tosses the dice felt.

First off, I picked the game that I had which had pieces I could initially work with, and Monopoly seemed perfect. As for the reason it's Beatles Monopoly, it was the only one I had, so I felt I could just work with what I had. I had initially moved the dice like a pair of eyes (the term snake eyes initially came to mind when I thought about them, even though I used them in a more human way). As for the figurines from the set, I picked "Rocky Racoon" as well as the walrus because these were actually living things that felt better suited to the video compared to the other objects. Thankfully posing these were easy, as they were inanimate objects with wide bases.

As the project went on, I realized I needed something a bit more... posable. I had a friend of mine bring a couple of action figures he was willing to lend me that had full articulation; every joint, that would be integral to a person, including a point between the abdomen and chest, could move with these figures. With these, I could make something in which a small fight broke out when the story called for it. However, because they had a difficult center of balance (partially due to the articulation admittedly, as some points moved when I didn't want them to). In order to keep them in place, I had to use miniature adhesive stamps to keep them in place. This was also used to keep the dice in place when a character was holding them or were being thrown.

Reverse Video Reference of Walking

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The Laws of Physics in the Animation Uniderse

Magic and science are forces that tend to oppose each other, magic being a power that tries to subvert or overpower the laws of science more often than not… or such would be the case if it was a tangibly real entity. Regardless, magic is something that fascinates many people who seek something extraordinary, whether it would be a stream performer who simply wants to bend our perceptions of reality or a movie that seeks to practically outright destroy. It is something that leads to one of the greatest genres in media: fantasy; it gives viewers something much greater than something that is bound to come (not to downplay science fiction, which at times can be a form of fantasy), which can let the creators make something that isn’t limited by reality and science. Any creature can exist, but instead of being seen as some alien form, it is treated with a strange sense of reverence, awe, and adventure (much like the old Ray Harryhausen movies, which were imaginative and fantastic, even ones that were based on some sort of reality).

One such piece of fantasy, one that usually has a good set of rules but still has moments of breaking it’s set laws of physics for the sake of the plot, is The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Extended Cut). The second of three films based on the book trilogy of the same name, The Two Towers is a movie of epic scale, ranging from its battles, landscapes, and creatures that inhabit the world. As one would expect, the film has its fair share of magic, either something as blatant as wizards casting spells or something much more subtle, such as the enchantment of objects. While the story is certainly given a much greater sense of depth with the extended cut, much more questions can arise in regards to the consistency of the world in terms of its laws of physics and magic. It's made clear that the normal laws are broken either by magic, to fit the epic scale of the film, or way just not have been properly timed.

It is strange that Elves seems capable of creating everything for any situation, including food that keeps a man full after one bite, cures for the deadliest poisons, and other creations that keep them lasting as long as they do. While not readily apparent in the theatrical cuts, some extensions in the extended cuts make them more obvious (which in turn makes the audience question their crafting skills in the climactic battle in Helm's Deep). The first piece that was more apparent to the eagle-eyed viewer is the fact that the arrows of Legolas, an Elven archer, do not oscillate back and forth when launched (something that was introduced in the first film). While one may initially think this would just be a CGI goof, it becomes apparent it isn't when humans fire their arrows. Although subtle (usually due to the lack of close-ups or the speed in which they fire), the arrows of humans actually do oscillate. This makes levels of accuracy completely different, as oscillation throws an arrow off track, due to the constant bouncing around of its body back and forth. This also provides a legitimate factor as to why elves are such expert marksmen. This stayed consistent throughout all three movies. One can argue multiple reasons, including the fact that Elves are simply better equipped; arrows made from stronger materials have shown less oscillation, due to the stronger levels of resistance such materials posses. It can be said that, as beings who live in high society (their own high society, but one that's regal nonetheless) or in the woods, these are people who can either acquire richer materials or simply have greater knowledge in harvesting and building materials.

That being said, elves are known to have some knowledge in enchantment and magic. In fact, a key item that was given context in The Fellowship of the Ring extended cut reveals that a rope given to a Hobbit named Sam, one of the main characters and friend of fellow Hobbit, Frodo, is enchanted to be unbreakable and support heavy weights, despite the fact that it is practically no thicker than a piece of twine or a fine necklace. When Sam and Frodo are descending a mountain, it easily supports them (although in all fairness, these are people who are no taller than 3'6" in their universe). This can also be defended by another scene stemming from the first movie, in which the body of a deceased member is put on a boat that careens off of a waterfall, which can be gauged at about 200 feet tall (although one can't accurately gauge it, based on the fact that it falls at an unchanging sense of speed, as well as not showing the boat fall all the way). The amount of pressure the boat is able to withstand must be quite large, because in the second film, the boat is discovered by his brother with nary a scratch on it (including the body still being in its original position). The fact that it hadn't at least sank due to being overflowed with water is another marvel altogether.

Once again, it can be argued that this is either due to enchantment or extreme craftsmanship, due to the previous reasons. Although with something like a body staying in its original position, despite the boat practically be flipped in the air due to weight distribution, it can also be argued that this just wasn't properly thought out, much like another oddity that became evident in the battle of Helm's Deep. Despite the many marvels of the Elvish race, it's evident that their armor is penetrable from weapons still. Many elves slain by either an arrow or axe. The strength and means of enchantment that becomes evident in the extended cuts makes the viewer question whether or not the writers truly thought out some of these ideas. If they can make a rope that won't break, a boat that can't be destroyed by calling off a waterfall, and arrows that can't bend due to pressure, why can't they make an armor that can resist other forms of steel? Is because they have greater access to wood than high quality steel? Or can their enchantment work on more "natural" substances? This is supported by the ideas that Dwarves are masters of metalurgy, who were the primary forgers of steel, making a material called "Mithril," which somehow withstood impalement from a large spear wielded by a cave troll in the first film (although how the wearer was did not have his internal organs crushed due to the immense pressure, caused by an acute focal point, is another story). Still, it supports the idea of different species being specialized in certain craftsmanship, which creates a sense of consistency that outweighs many potential gaps of believability in the physics of the film.

Gravity also has interesting moments that defy the laws of nature. Even without concrete numbers, the practicality of everything is more or less absurd. Case in point, in the opening of the film, which recaps the (literal) fall of Gandalf, a gigantic creature known as a Balrog, made up of fire and stone, falls for about 25 seconds (give or take, given there is some slow-motion) down a cavern before Gandalf eventually takes his fall. Despite the disparity of size and weight, Gandalf catches up to the creature rather quickly in about 17 seconds. While the Balrog certainly has greater wind resistance compared to Gandalf, the creature's sheer mass and size (it stands at about two stories tall, and the fact that it's body is most likely some sort of magma and stone), it should have been much harder for Gandalf to catch up. Due to his smaller size and weight, not only would it take longer, but he would also have a slower terminal velocity that he'd be capable of reaching. That being said, there are various hypothesis. The fact that he goes into a nose dive greatly reduces the level of air resistance needed to catch up to him, but that doesn't change the fact that once he gets knocked off from the Balrog, he stays at the same level as it (even falling a bit faster than the Balrog for a couple of seconds), which potentially discounts the theory that the makers fully knew (or cared) about the physics behind it. The creature does have "wings," which would normally increase the wind resistance, even if falling down some cavernous hole, although it also seems to be a moot point, as it has no webbing, just the "boney" shape that is similar to that of a bats. With that, the amount of increased wind resistance would be somewhat negligible.

It could just be that Gandalf has some mystical ability to defy the laws of gravity. He has sent people flying into the air before (albeit when he has his staff, which acts as a magical conductor). However, he is usually only able to do this when it is aimed at someone. This may bring an even greater sense of confusion when at the end of the movie, when an army of horsemen led by Gandalf (by which I mean at least a hundred) come riding to the rescue down a hillside. Unfortunately, they're moving at a 45 degree angle downward, which shifts their base of support rather heavily, as well as their center of gravity. While some maintain a questionable level of balance, many of their base of supports fall behind their center of gravity, which would hypothetically send them all rolling in the dirt (probably all over each other in the process). Although even if they did maintain balance, the amount of horses they have crammed together would at the very least have them tripping over each other. Regardless, this is a scene in which logic was pushed to the side for the sake of the story and sheer epic scale of the battle at hand, in which they charge a huge army.

Lastly, something else that's altered every now and then is timing. This is clearly done more consciously, as many of the times, the timing of either actions are adjusted for the sake of the action. This is a rule that's bent quite a bit by Jackson over time. One such case is when Aragorn throws a spear during an ambush when a village is being moved to Helm's Deep. He practically flings it effortlessly, and when it leaves his arm, it actually speeds up faster that he throws it. While it certainly wouldn't be too hard to throw something that averages at 9 lbs., the laws of acceleration should not have allowed the spear to move faster than the force exerted on it can potentially create, meaning it can only travel as fast as Aragorn's arm can move.

This isn't the only moment of timing that seems strange. When an army of Ents (which are living trees that have usable limbs not unlike a person) begin to attack the tower of Isengard (a fortress of a wizard named Saruman, a supporter of the main antagonist Sauron), they destroy a dam holding the water back. However, when it is destroyed, it becomes clear that the speed of the water alternates between moving quickly and slowing down while everything else moves normally. What's interesting is that this is altered for the creatures, who naturally move slowly because of their lack of dexterity. The water does not move past them until the ones that cleared the dam are out of harm's way. It can be discounted that they have the ability to manipulate time, considering how seconds later, hundreds more must hold their ground when the pent up water comes pouring towards them. It's clear that, for those moments, time is altered for the sake of those around the scenery, as it's easier to manipulate CG characters rather than footage (which becomes apparent that the water is used from, as the features seem subdued compared to the CGI Ents).

Certainly some factors can be explained in Two Towers because of the aspects of magic or specialty based on certain races, much like the idea of craftsmanship of the Elves, who can somehow make certain things indestructible, while other objects remain weak and vulnerable. For other issues, it can be questionable as to whether or not it's done for the sake of the story or if the physical consistency in the world was an afterthought. Regardless, most of it is something that is largely consistent, and if it isn't, there's a clear reason behind it when it's for the sake of the scene at hand, such as with timing or ignoring certain laws of gravity. Even if it is questionable, it doesn't change the fact that the movie remains largely entertaining and epic, which can make many of these problems forgivable in the long run... even if it does prod the back of your mind for the rest of it.

Outline Paper 1

"Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Extended Edition)

I. Introduction
A. Laws of physics are bent either due to magic or to fit the movie's "epic scale"

II. Body

A. Everything that's Elvish is probably "enchanted"
1. Human arrows oscilate when fired, but Elvish arrows don't, which is clearest in Helm's Deep
2. A elvish made boat thought to have been destroyed after careening off a waterfall is shown to be in perfect condition
3. An Elvish roper, which is about a cm in diameter, doesn't break under the weight of two people (albeit very short people) when descending a mountain in the beginning. of the film.
4. Despite everything else not breaking, Elvish armor still seems inferior when countless Elves are slaughter via arrows, axes, and spears in the final battle

B. Gravity doesn't always work against the heroes...

1. Gandalf falls after a Balrog in the opening, but despite the fact that his lesser weight should have had him slow down considerably (and a 20 second head start) he catches up to the beast in 10 seconds.
2. A plethora of horseman led by Gandalf trample down a steep cliff in which, despite crowding, angles, and speeds, the horses stay perfectly stable

C. Timing isn't always proper.

1. Aragorn throws a spear at an orc, but the spear speeds up faster than his arm is throwing it (after it leaves his hand).

2. Legolas rides a sharp-edged shield down a slight of stairs, but despite the relatively slow speed (possibly 10 mph at the fastest),  when it launches off an angled ramp, it impales an orc through it's armor with ease

3. When Ents destroy a damn, the water coming out of it is clearly moving at an altered rate to be slower, due to the fact that Ents trying to escape are moving at a slow pace.

III. Conclusion
A. Physics are sometimes disregarded due to some sort of magical force or enchantment.
B. Other times, physics are ignored due to action at hand or to more greatly increase the epic scale of the current scene.

Stop Motion Animation of Falling

"Highway to- oh Hell."

It's short, but I think it gets straight to the point of emphasizing the motion of falling in several properties. I went through several ideas, including making it look like I was falling (before being picked up by a wire). Unfortunately, I was too big. I then went to a ball bounce, but that was to unimaginative. After a while, my girlfriend recommended I use Legos. The moment I saw Batman with the motorcycle, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do. The first shots of him rolling in were shot normally, having the book (a physics book nonetheless, which I assure you, is one of two accidents I didn't plan for that worked in this video's favor) resting on an ottoman. For the second half, with Batman driving off, I shot it from an extremely high angle, having everything lie flat on the ground (or at least as flat as can be, which can be seen in the changing of the books position). This made it easier to get the desired effect of falling, even though shadows still damage the illusion.

As for post-production, my only issue was trying to find something to fit the mood. Without audio, it felt bland. Looking through my music (while struggling to find the appropriate Batman tunes), I stumbled upon my small ACDC collection, including "Highway to Hell." The greater surprise was how well the cuts and actions worked out with the tempo of the music. I figured the best way to add the final kick of humor though was to cut off the music at the proper moment of humiliation, ending it with a simple crash sfx. All in all, simple and effective, while keeping the timing of the fall in proper sync.

Fun fact: my girlfriend, a physics major, didn't realize the shift in weight at first as the motorcycle popped a wheelie, which threw off her perception of how the motorcycle should have shifted in the air.

Hang Time Tracker

Original Jump Video

Tracker Single Jump Video

Tracker Jump data